Pressure and vacuum release valve



July 15, .1924.

S. H. BROOKS PRESSURE AND VACUUM RELEASE VALVE Filed May 29, 1.922

Ill

II ll Patented .iei 15, ea.

i'rsn STATES PATENT oFFlcE.

, STEPHEN H. BROOKS, or CLEVELAND, onro, Assrenora TO THE on. GQNSERVATION nnemnssane COMPANY, or CLEVELAND, 02110, a. CORPORATION ea OHIO.

PRESSURE AND VACUUM RELEASE VALVE.

a plication filed May 29,

To all whom it'may concern:

Be itknoWn that 1, STEPHEN H. BROOKS, a-citi'zen of the United States, residing at Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahogaand State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pressure and Vacuum Release Valves, of which the 'following is a specification; H g

lVIy inventionrelates 'to-improvements in pressure and vacuum release valves and it more especially consists of the features pointed out in the annexed claims.

Thepurpose of'my invention 1s to provide 'a' valve which "automatically controls both excesses of pressure or vacuum in pipe dines usedto conserve the freelyvolatile products of o-il'tanks, etc. that cooperates With means for conserving such gases installed in connectionavith vent ipe'lin'es; that, in'a controllablema'imer eter'min'es in advance at What 'degr'eefof excessive positive or negative pressure, such excess shall be released; that is entirely self contained and automatic in its action, regardless ofth'e direction that gases inav belfi'o'wing in the vent pipe; and *that within' the limits off'a selective pressure requires no attention Whatever. j j

,YVith these and other ends in view, lilius- "trate'in the accompanying drawing such "instances of adaptation as Will disclose'the broad underlying features without limiting I myself to the specific details shown thereon or describedherein.

Figure 1 is afsid'e elevation partly in section of {an automati'c'val'v'e connected in a pipeline L' I Fig.2 is an elevation in section {on ihne "2 2 of Fig. 1. p V n F3 is a plan View SFCtl'OIPQf aportion of Fig. 1 howing an enclosed 'forinof valve control. i Fig. lis an elevation in section of amodiifiedforin of a partially enclosed valve control.

Fig. 5 is a plan view in section of*Fig.4.

Fig. 6 is'a detached plan view of an adju'stable type of valvec ontrol. I I

' In practically carrying out my invent on, I mayemploy any suitable style of easing 'i'ns'tea'dof that designated by 1 ii' 'th'e'drzuv- "ing. Whatever type "of casing is used it must be connected into a pipe line 3 by means ofendflanges 15 orothervvise. To assist in A removal of this cover Thi has a double beveled opening in which the valve disk 4 has free movement, length-- Wise of the valve in either direction. The valve disk 4 is secured to thevalvestemb in any suitable manner at approximately centrally of its length. In order that the valve 4 in its movement isheld in proper Working relation to the opening formed in the partition 10 the valve stem 5 slides in guides 6 placed, one on each side of the valve 1. These guides may be cast integral With the casing 1 or secured therein in any other manner. They are so placed that the valve stem 5, When the valve .liS in its inactive position, projects practically the same distance beyond the guides 6. These guides also form limit stops to the movement of the valve 4.

WVhen a positive pressure, indicated 'by an arrow in Fig. 1 is present int-he vent .line 3, for any reason, the valve 4 Will be pushed to the right thus uncovering the opening in the Wall 10 and providing a free passage to the outgoing pipe line, quickly relieving any tanksystem to Which the vent line is connected of suchpressure which if not released would endanger the tank structure. 'Conversely, if a negative pressure vacuumis formed in the connected tank system the valve 4: Will likewise move to the left in the same Way as it previously moved to the right until stopped by the guides 6 thus completely relieving the vacuum or releasing the negative pressure.

If no provision Was made {to compel either a positive or negative pressure to overcome a predetermined resistance, the movement of the valve 'would be uncontrolled. If dependence was only placed on the friction of the valvestem 5 in the guides 6 no dependable reliance could be placed on such a resistance. 'It is of course possible that a spring, not shown, could be placed on the valve stem 5 on each side of the valve 4 between it and theguides 6 but such air-expedient isdeemed to come Withinthe spiri of the structure herein disclosed and cannot and as they are loosely and removably pivoted on rods 16 may be readily changed for others of less or more weight according to the maximum pressures that are to be controlled. Limit rods 9 are provided to stop the downward movement of weights 7 and 8 so that they will always be picked up by the valve stem 5 at the same point. In fact when there is no pressure or vacuum in the pipeline, both weights resting against the stops 9, the valve 4 is definitely held in its normal or inactive position in the opening of partition 10. The maximum pressure release position of valve 4 is indicated in Fig. '1 by dotted lines 11 and the maximum vacuum release position of the valve 4 is also shown in Fig. 1 by the dotted lines 12. The related change in position of the weights 7 and 8 is also shown in dotted lines.

In valves of this type it is usually found desirable to securely enclose them to pre vent tampering or changing their parts by unauthorized persons, for this and other reasons the cover 2 is provided with handles 13 to facilitate its removal after the cap screws 14 are taken off. -However, if it should be found desirable to change the weights by the withdrawal of pivot rods 16,, and the removal of the casing, this may be done by fastening valve stem arms 18, having curved ends 17, on the rods 20 projecting outside the casing 1, as shown in Fig. 5 and securing thereto a pair of weights 19 for each rod 20, which in case a change in maximum controlis desired may be substituted by others. Should it, for certain exigencies, be found desirable to provide ad justable weights, this may be accomplished through the use of a valve stem arm 18 shown in Fig. 4 attached to a shaft 20 which, on its projecting end has secured a head 23 from which a rod 22 extends at about right angles to the shaft 20. On'this rod the adjustable weight 21 is placed. It is secured at any desired distance from the head 23 by means of a set screw 24. The weights 2 7, 8 and 21 may have the maximum pressure values indicated thereon and the rod 22 may be marked along its length in arbitrary values as desired. As these expedients are in themselves readily understood they are not shown. The weight 21 may be locked in position.

The value of an automatic control against excessive pressures, which are liable to occur in gas pipe lines in either direction, is very great as it enables one to conserve large evaporative losses found where tanks are simply vented into the air without any provision being made to condense and trap out the volatile products which are ordinarily a total loss, and in addition produce a serious fire hazard. My automatic control safeguards any tank system against the danger of inward or outward disruption due to an unreleased vacuum or internal pressure.

lVhat I claim is:

1.. In automatic valves, a suitable casing having an inlet, an outlet and a valve opening in axial alignment with each other, a double acting valve in such opening, automatic means for normally holding the valve in such opening and means for predeterminedly and changeably fixing the maximum force required to move the valve away irom said opening in either direction thererom.

2. In automatic valves, a suitable casinghaving a valve opening therein, a double acting valve operable in and across such opening in axial alignment therewith, and means for predeterminedly setting the force limits under which the valve will move away from the valve opening in both directions, from outside the casing.

3. In automatic valves, a vent line, a suitable casing connected therein, said casing having a restricted opening in free connection to said vent line on either side of the opening, a double acting valve in axial alignment with such opening, means for retarding the movement of the valve against pressures from both sides, and means for independently varying the retardation on opposite sides of the valve.

4. In automatic valves, a suitable casing having a valve opening therein, a movable valve in axial alignment with said opening, means for automatically and simultaneously controlling the movement of the valve within said opening in both directions, and

means for adjusting such control as desired from the exterior of the casing.

5. In automatic valves, a suitable casing having a valve opening therein, an inlet and an outlet connected with said opening in axial alignment with each other, a disk valve cooperating with said opening, a valve stem for said valve, guides for the valve stem, and means simultaneously coacting to normally hold the valve in the opening but said valve being free to move under control in'either direction away from such opening. In testimony whereof I afiix nay-signature.

STEPHEN H. BROOKS. 

